ry, the active material is loosened, and drops to the bottom
of the jars, with the result that the whole battery may disintegrate.
Jars may also be cracked by the expansion of the water when a battery
freezes.

To avoid freezing, a battery should therefore be kept charged, The
temperatures at which electrolyte of various specific gravities
freezes are as follows:

Specific Gravity Freezing Pt. Specific Gravity Freezing Pt.
---------------- ------------ ---------------- ------------
1.000 32 deg. F 1.200 -16 deg. F
1.050 26 deg. F 1.250 -58 deg. F
1.100 18 deg. F 1.280 -92 deg. F
1.150 5 deg. F 1.300 -96 deg. F

9. Care of Storage Battery When Not in Service. A storage battery may
be out of service for a considerable period at certain times of the
year, for example, when the automobile is put away during the winter
months, and during this time it should not be allowed to stand without
attention. When the battery is to be out of service for only three or
four weeks, it should be kept well filled with distilled water and
given as complete a charge as possible the last few days, the car is
in service by using the lamps and starting motor very sparingly. The
specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell should be tested, and
it should be somewhere between 1.280 and 1.300. All connections to the
battery should be removed, as any slight discharge current will in
time completely discharge it, and the possibilities of such an
occurrence are to be avoided. If the battery is to be put out of
service for several months, it should be given a complete charge by
operating the generator on the car or by connecting it to an outside
charging circuit. During the out-of-service period, water should be
added to the cells every six or eight weeks and the battery given what
is called a freshening charge; that is, the engine should be run until
the cells have been gassing for perhaps one hour, and the battery may
then be allowed to stand for another similar period without further
attention. Water should be added and the battery fully charged before
it is put back into service. It is desirable to have the temperature
of the room where the battery is stored fairly constant and as near 70
degrees Fahrenheit as possible.

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CHAPT